The Very Best of Australia

Day 1 Depart London Heathrow
Join your Tour Manager in the executive lounge before you board your flight.

Day 2 Arrive Dubai
You’ll transfer from the airport to the centrally located Jumeirah Creekside where you’ll stay for 2 nights. On an afternoon guided tour of traditional Dubai you’ll gain an insight into its rich past visiting historical buildings with their ancient wind towers, crossing Dubai creek by traditional abra, and exploring the spice and gold souks. You’ll pass palaces and religious sites and enter the Bastakiya historical and art district culminating in a visit to Dubai Museum . This evening, you’ll join your Tour Manager and fellow travellers for welcome drinks.

Day 3 Dubai
Today is free to explore Dubai at leisure. You may choose to see its more modern side with a visit to the top of the Burj Khalifa which, at 828 metres, is the world’s tallest building, or take high tea at the Burj Al Arab. Alternatively, enjoy the facilities of your hotel, or take the complimentary shuttle to Jumeirah Beach. This evening there’s an optional excursion into the desert by 4×4 vehicle over the dunes to feast under the stars at a traditional Bedouin-style camp.

Meals: Breakfast.

Day 4 Depart Dubai
Early this morning you’ll transfer to the airport and board your overnight flight to Sydney for the start of your Australian adventure.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 5 Sydney
This morning you’ll arrive for early check in and breakfast at the Sydney Harbour Marriott. Then, you’re free to relax or explore at the beginning of your 3 night stay. If you’d like to upgrade to a Harbour Bridge View or Opera House View room, please ask when you make your booking.

Meals: Breakfast.

Day 6 Sydney
Where else could today’s tour start, but at the iconic Sydney Opera House? You’ll then have lunch on a harbour cruise which takes you past the Opera House and under the magnificent Harbour Bridge to Balmain and Darling Harbour. Your tour culminates with a trip to one of Sydney’s most popular coastal regions, the famous Bondi Beach with terrific surf and golden sand.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Day 6 Sydney
Where else could today’s tour start, but at the iconic Sydney Opera House? You’ll then have lunch on a harbour cruise which takes you past the Opera House and under the magnificent Harbour Bridge to Balmain and Darling Harbour. Your tour culminates with a trip to one of Sydney’s most popular coastal regions, the famous Bondi Beach with terrific surf and golden sand.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Day 7 Sydney
On your free day in Sydney, you might like to contrast the previous day’s city tour with a trip to the majestic Blue Mountains to see the magnificent rocky outcrop known as Three Sisters at Echo Point.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 8 Sydney to Cairns
Arriving in Queensland’s far north, you’ll transfer to the Hilton Cairns for 4 nights.

Meals: Breakfast.

Day 9 Cairns
On a thrilling catamaran ride, you’ll venture into the extraordinary environment of The Great Barrier Reef, where brilliant blue waters teem with tropical marine life and colourful coral. Marine naturalists are on hand to tell you all about this watery world.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch.

Day 10 Cairns
Today you have a full free day and your Tour Manager can arrange various optional excursions for you. You might like to visit the picturesque market town of Kuranda known as the ‘Village in the Rainforest’. You can visit by scenic railway or rainforest cable car, which offer an invigorating journey and dramatic views.

Meals: Breakfast.

Day 11 Cairns
Take Cairns at your own pace today. Perhaps embrace the exotic atmosphere of Rusty’s market or take a stroll along the popular esplanade.

Meals: Breakfast.

Day 12 Cairns to Ayers Rock
After a flight to Australia’s ‘Red Centre’, you’ll start your exploration of this rugged, 500 million year old landscape with a guided base tour of Ayers Rock, followed by a stop at the Aboriginal Cultural Centre for an insight into aboriginal history and art. Later this evening you’ll watch the sun set over Ayers Rock, lighting the landscape with a shimmering glow. Your 2 night stay is at the Sails in the Desert.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 13 Ayers Rock
This morning you’ll enjoy a drive to Kata Tjuta,known as the Olgas, where the huge red domes rise out of the barren plain into vivid blue skies. On a guided walk through Walpa Gorge, you’ll learn about the region’s cultural significance and unique flora and fauna. The afternoon is free to spend as you choose. Your hotel provides a range of activities such as dancing, boomerang throwing,and indigenous art markets. Tonight you’ll venture out under the dark twinkling sky for dinner at the
mesmerising Sound of Silence experience.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.

Day 14 Ayers Rock to Alice Springs
Journeying through Australia’s amazing desert landscape, you’ll arrive at Alice Springs, for a tour that includes the old Telegraph Station, the Flying Doctor base and the School of the Air. Your home for 2 nights is the Crowne Plaza Alice Springs.

Meals: Breakfast.

Day 15 Alice Springs
You have a free day to explore this fascinating frontier community. Discovered in 1871, ‘The Alice’ was originally no more than a welcome watering hole for pioneers stringing a telegraph wire from Darwin to Adelaide.

Meals: Breakfast.

Day 16 Alice Springs to Adelaide
Today’s itinerary depends on which option you‘ve chosen. You may have opted to board The Ghan for an epic, overnight journey on this legendary scenic train. Alternatively, you’ll take a lunchtime flight to South Australia and check into the Adelaide Hilton for 3 nights.

Meals: Breakfast (Lunch and Dinner included on The Ghan)

Day 17 Adelaide
If you fly from Alice Springs, you now have the whole day free to explore. A trip to Kangaroo Island is a rewarding way to spend the day, amongst the diverse landscape of soaring cliffs, dense forest and native wildlife. Or you might like to visit one of the fascinating museums, including the nostalgic Museum of Childhood. If you’re travelling on The Ghan, you’ll arrive in Adelaide this afternoon and stay for 2 nights.

Meals: Breakfast

Day 18 Adelaide
On this morning’s tour, you’ll see Victoria Square in the heart of the city, the majestic Parliament House and the grand boulevard of King William Street. Travelling out of the city into the lush green belt, you’ll visit Cleland Wildlife
Park, whose inhabitants include kangaroos, wallabies, emus and waterfowl.

Meals: Breakfast.

Day 19 Adelaide to Melbourne
Once your flight lands in Melbourne, you’re free to explore, and we recommend a stroll through the stunning central parklands, including the fine Royal Botanic Gardens. Your hotel for 3 nights is the superbly located Sofitel Melbourne on Collins Street.

Meals: Breakfast.

Day 20 Melbourne
This morning’s tour starts with a visit to Captain Cook’s Cottage in Fitzroy Gardens. You’ll see Westgate Bridge, an amazing feat of engineering high above the River Yarra, before your final stop is St Kilda, on the most picturesque point of the bay.

Meals: Breakfast.

Day 21 Melbourne
Today is a free day, and your Tour Manager will have plenty of ideas for you. You might like to wander Rose Street artists’ market, shop in the boutiques on Brunswick Street, browse the collections at the National Gallery of Victoria or take an Aboriginal Heritage Walk.

Meals: Breakfast.

Day 22 Melbourne to Perth
You’ll fly to Western Australia and check into Perth’s Parmelia Hilton for 3 nights.

Meals: Breakfast.

Day 23 Perth
Today’s tour of Perth and Fremantle starts with a visit to Kings Park and Botanic Gardens, with beautiful views over the Swan River. You’ll then head to the glorious sands of bustling Cottesloe Beach, and the district of Fremantle; a
cultural and entertainment centre with colonial architecture and quaint streets, where you’ll find vibrant restaurants and a number of fine art galleries.

Meals: Breakfast.

Day 24 Perth
During the day you’re at leisure and you might like to take the ferry over to Rottnest Island to explore its beautiful bays and discover the unusual wildlife, including the quokka – a small marsupial that looks like a tiny kangaroo. Tonight you’ll join your group for a farewell dinner.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner.

Day 25 Depart Perth
Today you’ll transfer to the airport for your return flight, via Dubai. An optional stopover back in Dubai is a relaxing way to break the journey.

Meals: Breakfast.

Day 26 Arrive London Heathrow
Your adventure may have come to an end, but the memories will last a lifetime.

Tour includes

Maximum group size: 25
JOD Tour Manager
Local expert guides in resort
All flights specified
London airport executive lounge
Welcome drinks party
Inspirational sightseeing programme
Hotel luggage porterage service
22 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners

On a Journey of Distinction, you are not merely a bystander. They believe that the wonders, customs and cultures you experience will live on in the core of your being. They even go so far as to say that one of their holidays will change your life forever.

Their combination of Tour Managers and Local Guides is what makes Journey of Distinction so distinctive. When you’re embarking on a voyage of discovery, it’s reassuring to know that a seasoned traveller is with you every step of the way; planning, organising, checking details and offering their advice and support. Their groups all depart from the UK, and no one joins us along the way, so you have the reassuring constancy of always knowing your travelling companions.

Our Opinion
“Limited to just 25 travellers per departure, every Journeys of Distinction escorted tour has an intimate, personal feel that makes for a more enjoyable experience.”